


Happy About a Flower

by Foxberry



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Crush at First Sight, First Impressions, First Meetings, Fluff, Holding Hands, M/M, Meet-Cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-21
Updated: 2017-10-21
Packaged: 2019-01-15 16:27:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12324654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Foxberry/pseuds/Foxberry
Summary: When a new family joins their small community of people with ‘abilities’, Lance can’t help being more than a little curious of the new boy with the thick arms and round middle. He finds out with a flutter in his stomach that you can’t judge a book by its cover.





	Happy About a Flower

**Author's Note:**

> This is my contribution to the Hance Zine!
> 
> This is probably one of the cutest things I've written and I'm so happy to finally share this one.

****The scent of freshly cut grass and sizzling meat fills the air, mixing with the sounds of children laughing as they run beneath the shadows of the park's old oak trees. They hurry between barbecues, picnic blankets, and park benches, dodging the outstretched arms of their parents before hiding behind another family. On a such a sunny day as this one, Lance can't help but feel like he belongs.

He'd never thought that a once a month meeting of families such as theirs would ever be so popular. By now Lance knows all of the families and all about them, including their favourite foods, their favourite spots, and most importantly, their powers.

His family have taken the old rickety park bench like usual. His brothers have taken to playing games of great heroes and clumsy villains, while his sisters play with the children of other families. Lance has grown tired of being the community picnic's babysitter, being the only one of his age, about to graduate high school, and still too young to fit in with the adults. There's only so long he can blow bubbles and splash children in the face to make them laugh. 

Lance is about to give up on staying when he sees a new family joining the gathering. With tall frames, broad shoulders, and large, round noses, they seem like a family meant to have extraordinary powers, something worthy of how powerful they look together. Amongst the three of them, the one that catches his attention can't be much older than him.

Stocky like his parents, his arms are thick and muscle-bound, fingers playing with the edge of his yellow jacket. Tufts of his dark hair poke over the top of an orange band tied around his forehead and frame the warm brown of his eyes that casually gaze around the park. Lance immediately pegs his power as super strength. It'd have to be.

Trying not to be too eager, Lance wanders around the park, waiting for the new boy to find a place to sit. The boy takes a while, shrugging his shoulders and forcing smiles while his parents introduce him to everyone. Lance only wants to know what this new kid can do. He has plenty of time to meet the parents if he wants to meet them, if they come back that is. Most families stay and come back every month, but some don't ever return. Lance has been going to this community picnic for as long as he can remember and makes it his business to know everyone. He especially needs to know this new guy.

Finally taking a seat beneath an oak tree, the big guy rests his head against the bark, staring out and away from everyone else. It's an unusual choice, but perfect for the chance Lance needs. The guy has to have some kind of cool power by the size of him. The rest of his clothes seem to suggest he's fairly laid back. Legs crossed, his sandals poke out from beneath his knees and his cargo pants seem to suggest he's a fairly practical guy too, likely really down to earth. Maybe super strength isn't the answer.

Lance tries to sink down beside him casually, but manages to slip and fall onto his butt, sending up a small spray of dirt. Thankfully the new guy doesn't seem concerned and even smiles, with teeth, at him. Lance bites his lip when he realises his chest seems to be drumming away. "Hey, you're obviously new here. The name's Lance." He awkwardly extends his hand, quickly brushing both hands together when he realises he's covered them with dirt. The big guy doesn't seem to mind and shakes his hand anyway.

"Hunk," the boy answers with a small laugh, shrugging his shoulders up self-consciously. His eyes keep wandering over Lance's face, then his shoulder, and back up again, like he can't believe Lance is really sitting next to him. Maybe he's never had anyone like Lance be so friendly before. Maybe he's wondering what Lance's powers are too.

Lance clears his throat and figures he'll try to make it less awkward between them with his powers. It always seems to work. "So, I know you have powers, because... well, looking at you, how could you not? But I've got something pretty cool myself." He takes a deep breath, checks over to see Hunk is watching, purses his lips into a ring, and blows a series of small bubbles from his mouth. They float in the air, shining and bobbing, catching the afternoon light until they finally pop.

His eyes immediately dart to Hunk's face, needing to know what this stranger and perhaps new friend thinks of his trick. As he had hoped, he finds a large smile and look of awe. "That's... really cool!" He means it, lips opening and closing while he struggles to find words but still keeps on smiling. "How do you do that?" He leans forward, staring up at Lance with a sense of wonder, genuine and honest. Lance's heart immediately starts beating faster.

"W-well, I can manipulate water. You know, blow bubbles, spit like a water gun, conjure water out of the air like the best magician you've ever seen." Lance grins wide and strokes his hand through the air, curling his fingers just so until water droplets form at the tips. He draws his fingers all together and flicks his hand open, sending the water flying into the grass. "This is just something small. I can do more if I concentrate... and have more water."

Hunk claps his hands together like he's just found something amazing, laughing with a sense of joy that apparently requires his eyes to close for a second. He claps again, palms hitting in just the right way to make a loud bang, and startles Lance into sitting up straight. "Oh, sorry," Hunk apologises, and reaches up to massage the back of his neck. "I can get kind of loud when I do that." He holds up his hands, turning them over as he judges them, and shrugs. "Big hands."

If there is any way to get himself out of this daze, slapping himself in the face with Hunk's hands definitely seems like it'd work. Lance is fairly fluid and adaptable like most people with water-based powers are, but Hunk is solid and stable and usually that means strength of some kind. His powers have to be something cool by the size of him, but that laugh and that smile don't add up with what Lance had been expecting. He's much kinder and softer than he first appears.

Lance wiggles his shoulders and loosens himself up, hoping the nerves will go away. "So your power has to be strength, right? I mean, look at you. You've got the muscles for it." He leans forward a little and gestures at Hunk's biceps. They're outlined by the pale cotton of his shirt. Lance doesn't know how it's even _possible_ to get muscles like that. "You’re practically built to be strong."  
  
Hunk, however, shakes his head like he's heard it so many times before and dismissed the thought the same way. Pulling his lips into a line of concentration, he takes a breath and shoves his hand into the dirt, grabbing a handful of soil. The action is so quick that Lance is blinking for a number of seconds before he realises that Hunk really just put his hand in the ground.

"You... punch dirt?" Lance asks and pouts at the nearly turned soil. He watches, both puzzled and mesmerised, as Hunk lifts up his hand, clasping the ball of dirt. It seems entirely ridiculous, but Hunk isn't smiling or laughing. He's entirely serious when he sheepishly looks up into Lance's eyes and holds out his hand. The dirt crumbles off the sides while his hand trembles a little.

Hunk remains silent and tilts his head forward, focusing his eyes on a spot on the ball. He takes a deep breath and nods for Lance to keep his attention like it'll answer his question. It's hard to see at first, but slowly the dirt starts to fall away, moving just a little. Seconds pass and finally Lance can see a speck of green, then more green, and from beneath the dark earth a seedling pushes itself up.  
  
Lance's eyes widen, unable to look away as the seedling unfurls itself, slowly growing leaf after leaf and twirling up towards the sun. It’s so bright in colour, it almost doesn't look real, but it keeps growing until a bud begins to form. "Oh... wow... that's..." Lance whispers, leaning in even closer, wanting to watch every little detail. " _Amazing_."

White peeks from the edges of the bud as it slowly but surely unfolds, peeling back and growing right before his eyes. Lance keeps staring up at Hunk and back down again, wondering how much of this is just a trick and how awesome it'd be if this is truly real, if he's really seeing what he's seeing. Whatever it is, it waves lightly in the breeze, petals a bright white around a circle of yellow. There's a daisy in Hunk's hand.

"It's not much... but I like it,” Hunk answers with a shrug, being both humble and adorable despite his size. The flower is so fragile and beautiful, surrounded by the dirt that continues to fall away between his fingers. "It's..." he trails off and smiles at his handiwork. There's a soft pride behind those eyes. It’s no wonder, with the sheer magic that has literally sprung out of the dirt in Hunk's hand.

Lance breaks into a smile and finds himself wordless. He's already said how amazing it is, but there's nothing else to top that. Instead he gestures at the flower, smiling and huffing out laughter at the shock of what he's seen. Hunk seems to be amused by his reaction. His hand comes closer to Lance's chest, edging forward and making the daisy sway.

Offering the flower, Hunk simply adds, "It's yours." He nods for Lance to take it from him, and with that insistent look on his face, there's no denying such a request. "Please, take it. It'll still be a little delicate, but I know you won't hurt it." He seems to believe that Lance is as gentle as Hunk so clearly is, and Lance doesn't know what to think about that.

He fumbles picking up the flower, fingers digging into the dirt on Hunk's hand and trying not to jerk away when he feels warm skin. "Like this?" he asks while he scoops up the flower and watches dirt falling away through his fingers. His hand hadn’t been closed enough, so all he's left with is a flower stem held between his clumsy fingers. He'll probably accidentally kill it at this rate, especially with all the roots now exposed and dangling in the air. 

"I... I'm gonna..." He should probably put it down, let it be a flower without being a flower in his accident prone hands. Lance can't trust himself not to hurt it. "Put it... here... if that's okay?" Holding the flower in one hand near the hole Hunk made, he strokes the other through the air in circles, in loops, until water begins to follow his hand. Drops fall to the dirt when his hand stops and his fingers spread apart.  
  
Satisfied, he lets the flower down and pushes the dirt up against it, filling the hole as best he can. He has no idea what he's doing. Staring down at how badly he seems to cover the flower's roots, he cringes and feels a wave of warm embarrassment creeping up his chest. "Sorry," he mumbles, leaning forward in the off chance he might be able to hide his face.  
  
Hunk suddenly leans forward and helps him scoop dirt into the right position, holding Lance's hand in the right place, fingers brushing over his skin. "It'll be fine. Just need to give it a little support." He peers up at Lance, leaning low enough to break through the invisible barrier Lance tried to put up. It seems to shatter into pieces and sets Lance's heart racing. "Like this, see?" Hands on either side of Lance's, Hunk puts him in just the right position to hold the flower in place.  
  
"It's actually standing up!" He's not supposed to be this happy about a flower, nor are his hands supposed to feel this warm as bigger hands encompass them. "It should be alright if I move my hands now, right?" Lance can't tell if he really wants the flower to be safe, or if he wants his hands to stay where they are, where it's warm and comfortable. He smiles with a huff through his nose.  
  
Hunk nods and pulls back to observe their work. His head tilts as he smiles. "It looks nice there. I think we did well." He hums a sound of satisfaction, nodding like they've done a good job. He seems so confident in it that it's hard to believe it could be any different. He did grow the flower, after all.  
  
Slowly and carefully, Lance pulls his hands away and sighs in relief when the flower doesn't topple over. He was almost certain it would, considering how he can be with his hands. He's not nearly as sure and steady as Hunk seems to be. However, there is one thing he can do with his hands that'll work. He's sure of that.  
  
Turning his hand through the air, he gathers water until he has enough and drops it over the flower in a gentle mist. It's a neat little trick, and useful at that. Hunk seems to be entirely thrilled by it, prompting Lance to finally ask what's been eating at him. "Mind if I sit with you for a while?" He nudges closer and rests his hand on the small mound of dirt by the daisy.  
  
"I don't mind at all," Hunk returns with a grin. Relaxing against the tree, he turns back to the picnic, watching the children running and laughing, taking in the scent of the food cooking on the barbecue. He looks entirely at peace staring out at everyone else, and when Lance turns away, too, he can feel the warmth of Hunk's hand resting on his.

**Author's Note:**

> All comments and kudos are very much appreciated. 
> 
> Come find me on Twitter [@particlebarrier](http://twitter.com/particlebarrier).


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